I’m currently sitting in a conference focused on Bioinformatics. I gave my seminar on our basic and clinical science database this morning (very well, thanks for asking).
It occurred to me earlier thouogh that not only am I a suck-out on the live blogging front, this conference could be a keystone event for the idea of “dead blogging”. We’re in a valley, in the middle of nowhere, Tennessee (AKA Fall Creek Falls State Park). There’s only interchoob access in the main conference room, and it’s a wee little DSL wireless connection. Well, this is a bioinformatics conference and the room is full of the archetype geek…we’ve got everyone from hard core Computer Scientists to hard core Lab Scientists. Everyone has their laptop out, and some of the presentations are supposed to be interactive. Except the patchy connection means that couple of the workshops have been disasters less…interactive.
Also, because we’re in a valley, in the middle of nowhere, no one’s cell phone has reception. A talking point indeed.
Can someone call my girlfriend and let her know I’m alive?
“Driving in through the mountains I knew we were in trouble when the GPS died with 45 miles to go”, is a common talking point at the bar in the evenings.
Anyway, thought i’d share the irony, of being at a bioinformatics summit with propane generated electricity. For what it’s worth I left my cell phone, iPod and computer chargers at home anyway…
So is not being able to blog, once you get over the initial distraction of struggling with the technology, helping or hindering your participation as an audience member?
As long as you don’t hear the notes of Dueling Banjos coming from the woods, I think you’re OK, Ian.
That’s a very beautiful part of Tennessee, IIRC.
@Scott: hindering I think :)
@Kristi: We went to the falls after lunch. It really is stunning! I’ll have photos up soon
haha, good to know that you made it! And great talk I am sure :) Good that you feel that way too!
Enjoy the nature (yes, I am soooo envious) and maybe you can give suggestions and road directions of the beautiful place once you are back in civilazation?
Getting there is, in theory, simple… from Memphis, drive North to Nashville (3.5hrs), then turn right (2.5 hrs). I would suggest using the South entrance… That’s a main highway that takes you almost into the park. The North entrance is a long and windy mountain road that is, in equal parts, stunningly beautiful and mind numbingly terrifying. Not for the faint hearted, certainly at night…
It is easy to forget how dependent we have become on technology until we must make do without it. I recently returned from a brief period of field work, and not being near a computer all day made me more efficient in the minutes I did spend online. Temptations of time wasting web sites are easier fought when one’s time on the internet is limited.
Funnily enough, Wilson, I enjoyed sitting at the back of the conference room and watching other delegates laptop screens. Apparently during mine, when I explained how to visit our database a lot of people had a look. I remember watching folks though, later on, and CNN & ESPN were very popular…March Madness has gripped even the scientific community.
Case in point, I leave for another conference on Thursday, and The Memphis Tigers play Thursday night. Asked by fellow delegates if I’d care to join them for dinner I explained “we” can go where ever, but they’d better have a TV with ESPN on around 7:30PM EST…
Brooks> Thanks! I will see if that would make a nice trip in the spring time :)
(don’t mention the madness – I am way behind in the lab bracket thingy…. apparently i am not as savvy with basketball as football :) )